ABA names sixth division after superstar Moses Malone
May 20, 2005 - American Basketball Association (ABA) News Release
ABA NAMES SIXTH DIVISION AFTER SUPERSTAR MOSES MALONE (Graphic: Moses Malone) One of Games All-Time Great Centers Honored
Indianapolis, IN. The American Basketball Association (ABA) today announced that its sixth division would be named after one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and former ABA star, Moses Malone. Described as a relentless rebounder and effective shooter, he made the jump from high school to a pro career that lasted 21 years. The third-leading rebounder and one of the leading scorers in combined NBA/ABA history, he was honored in 1996-97 as a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time team.
At the age of 19, he joined the ABA Utah Stars as a rookie, and was an immediate ABA success averaging over 18 points and 14 rebounds as a rookie. After two seasons in the ABA, he went on to become a dominant NBA player for over a decade leading the Houston Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981 and the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1983 NBA Championship. When the NBA absorbed four of the ABA teams, giving many of the ABA's biggest names a chance to shine in the NBA, most of them were out of basketball 10 years later. Malone, going well into the 1990's, and upon his retirement, was the last ABA veteran to still be active in the NBA. According to Dick Tinkham, original ABA co-founder and co-founder of the current ABA, "Moses was very special and really contributed to the ABA even though he was in the league for such a short time. And, coming right out of high school was unusual then though it appears to be quite the trend today. Moses proved conclusively that young players can compete, and can compete well. He is well deserving of this honor."
Malone joins Freddie Lewis, Marvin Barnes, Roger Brown, Spencer Haywood and Connie Hawkins as ABA legends that have been honored with ABA Divisions. For more information, visit www.abalive.com. --
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